Ronald
From the Old Norse Rognvaldr, which joins regin, advice or the counsel of the gods, with valdr, ruler. Scots took it up from Norse settlers.
Ronald in 2025
Ronald was given to 438 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,290th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 7,569 babies born.
The history of Ronald
Ronald reached its highest point in 1947, when 34,972 babies were given the name, ranking 15th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 12th, in 1941.
Across the 143 years of records since 1883, 1,086,091 babies have been named Ronald. Half of them were born before 1953, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Ronald by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ronald | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 63 | 1,162 |
| 1890s | 209 | 819 |
| 1900s | 616 | 592 |
| 1910s | 5,306 | 374 |
| 1920s | 21,005 | 104 |
| 1930s | 140,814 | 15 |
| 1940s | 283,190 | 12 |
| 1950s | 271,854 | 17 |
| 1960s | 182,990 | 35 |
| 1970s | 82,328 | 51 |
| 1980s | 47,045 | 104 |
| 1990s | 26,738 | 181 |
| 2000s | 13,645 | 386 |
| 2010s | 7,356 | 695 |
| 2020s | 2,932 | 1,123 |
Where Ronald is heading
Ronald has fallen 38% over the past decade, from 704 babies in 2015 to 438 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1947 peak — Ronald is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Ronald
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ronald.